fancy

I UK [ˈfænsɪ] / US verb [transitive]
Word forms "fancy":
present tense I/you/we/they fancy he/she/it fancies present participle fancying past tense fancied past participle fancied
**

1) British informal to want to have or do something

What do you fancy for your lunch?

I quite fancy the idea of lazing around.

fancy doing something:

Do you fancy going to the cinema?

2) British informal to feel sexually attracted to someone

I think Steve fancies you!

3) British informal to believe that someone will be successful in doing something, especially winning a competition or fight

fancy someone for something:

I fancy Manchester United for the Cup this year.

fancy your chances (for something):

So, do you fancy your chances for tomorrow's game?

fancy someone to do something:

Oxford are strongly fancied to win this year's Boat Race.

4) literary to believe or imagine that something is true

He sometimes fancied that he heard strange sounds.

•

- fancy yourself

II UK [ˈfænsɪ] / US adjective
Word forms "fancy":
adjective fancy comparative fancier superlative fanciest
*

1) expensive, popular, and fashionable

We stayed at some fancy hotel in the centre of London.

children who are sent to fancy private schools

2) not plain or simple but with a lot of decorations or extra parts

The camera comes in a fancy leather case.

I wanted just a plain handbag – nothing fancy.

fancy goods (= small objects used as decorations):

a shop selling jewellery and fancy goods

3) complicated or difficult

fancy computer graphics

fancy footballing tricks

4) intended to seem impressive, important, or clever

The candidate's fancy words lost more votes than they gained.

5) fancy prices are much higher than they should be

6) American fancy food is of very good quality

III UK [ˈfænsɪ] / US noun
Word forms "fancy":
singular fancy plural fancies literary

1) [countable] a feeling of wanting or liking something, especially a feeling that is not very strong or serious

2) [countable/uncountable] imagination, or something that you imagine or dream about

Was it only his fancy, or was there someone watching him?

one of those strange fancies of a dying person

See:

flight

•

take/catch someone's fancy — informal if something takes or catches your fancy, you like it, or you want to have or do it

I looked at quite a few dresses, but nothing really took my fancy.

- take a fancy to someone

- take a fancy to something

IV

See:

fancy that